Bob Cooney

Posted:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 10:13 AM

The Sixers made it official this morning that guard Allen Iverson will not be returning to the team this season.

Iverson missed five games before the All-Star break to be with his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah, who is suffering from an undisclosed illness. After coming back for a three-game stint, Iverson left again before the team embarked on a west coast swing and has not returned, missing the past four games.

It would appear that Iverson's career has come to an end, as his game, as well as his desire to keep playing it, appears to have diminished significantly as the season went on.

In a statement, president and general manager Ed Stefanski said: "After discussing the situation with Allen, we have come to the conclusion that he will not return to the Sixers for the remainder of the season, as he no longer wishes to be a distraction to the organization and teammates that he loves very deeply. It has been very difficult for Allen and the team to maintain any consistency as he tries to balance his career with his personal life."

Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.